Japanese Paper Slams Park's Reluctance to Work with Tokyo

The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun in an editorial on Sunday criticized President Park Geun-hye's diplomatic policies.

"China, the world's second-largest economic power, and South Korea are becoming rapidly closer to each other, indicating they are set to strengthen ties through their mutually shared anti-Japan sentiment" amid uncertainties over North Korea.

The daily condemned Park for blaming Japan for the failure to maintain security cooperation between the countries in a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. "It is highly questionable for a country's leader to criticize Japan during a meeting with a senior official from a third country… It is hard to accept her self-centered opinions," it said.

The Yomiuri also criticized Korea's closer ties with China. There are indications Chinese President Xi Jinping "could visit South Korea, possibly even this year. Could his trip add momentum to South Korea's tilt toward China regarding security affairs, too? Given that closer Beijing-Seoul relations could weaken the alliance between the United States and South Korea, the outcome of the possible China-South Korea summit talks must be watched closely," it said.

The daily added that Tokyo needs to cooperate with Seoul and Beijing to deal with the North Korean nuclear threat. "But in light of the difficulty Japan faces in receiving such cooperation under the current circumstances, it should view the role of its alliance with the United States as having even greater significance in ensuring the security of the region."